Nothing makes me more nostalgic then music. A band, album, or song can always bring me back to a certain time in life. All these bands from my junior high and high school days reuniting really brings back the nostalgia of my youth.
So when I picked up the newest album from the Get Up Kids, I won’t lie, I was hoping to hear Something to Write Home About part 2. Sadly, There Are Rules is not the album I thought it would be.
Right from the start There Are Rules is different from anything The Get Up Kids have ever released. Tithe is probably the closest you’re going to hear to a “classic” Get Up Kids song but it has so much more energy and intensity that it doesn’t resemble the band we all remember. Regent’s Court is an indie dance track that’s done really well.
And that’s when the album gets weird. Not bad, just completely different from what I ever expected to hear. While Shatter Your Lungs is a low key, minimal electronic track, Automatic is a full on modern electro/indie song. By the time Pararelevant kicks in you begin to realize The Get Up Kids are pulling from completely different influences.
The synth and dance focus is used to create great upbeat songs as well as nice dark undertones. While the back end of the album seems to have a bunch of filler tracks (Keith Case, The Widow Paris) the Get Up Kids have made a mostly successful transformation from emo to new wave. The last track, Rememorable, is probably my favorite on the album.
There Are Rules isn’t the album I was expecting from the Get Up Kids. Instead it’s a band reinventing themselves and doing a pretty good job at it. While it’s a little disappointing for me and anyone else hoping to hear Some To Write Home About again, it is something fresh from the Get Up Kids and it’s done (mostly) well.
It’s probably fair to say there’s nothing new happening in metalcore. While there are bands doing metalcore justice and bringing their own spin to the genre, most of what’s happening is tired and played out.
Ace Augustine is the newest addition to the Strike First line-up and their debut The Absolute is another addition to the metalcore ranks.
The Absolute isn’t bring much new to the table in the way of sound. At various times I’m reminded of For Today, Haste the Day, and The Devil Wears Prada. The album’s opening track, Justifiers, didn’t give me much hope that the album would be any good. It starts in typical deathcore fashion and doesn’t deviate a whole lot from that path. But 2013 Looks Promising brings the modern metalcore sound in.
While the Absolute isn’t terrible technical on any level, and the riffs won’t make you go nuts, Ace Augustine’s debut isn’t a record to dismiss. What Ace Augustine doesn’t do is almost as important as what they do. The band does well of not falling into genre pitfalls. No 808 bass drops, not your standard screaming verse, clean sung chorus. While there are breakdowns, they aren’t out of control and running loose all over the place. A couple of nice gang chants, and a job well done and picking spots to mix the clean vocals in help the Absolute from being just another metalcore record.
My biggest issue is Ben Moser’s vocals. While his deep guttural growls are nice, his regular screams are too high pitched for me. The overall feel of his vocals remind me of Mike Hranica from TDWP.
Overall Ace Augustine’s debut is a decent album with some nice moments but a lot of what’s already available for mass consumption. If you love metalcore and can’t get enough, this is a record for you to pick up.
After 2 weeks of hearing I Am Empire’s first single, Brain Damage, on the radio I was looking forward to hearing Tooth and Nail’s latest signings debut, Kings.
If I had to peg a genre on I Am Empire I’d have to just throw them into the radio rock category but I guess radio rock varies on where you live. Kings is a mixed bag of sorts and a tale of two halves.
The album kicks off with Brain Damage, an excellent high energy rock song. A great anthem and a killer track to start off the album. I don’t want to say its all downhill after that but Brain Damage is the best track on the album.
Heart Attack and Saints & Sinner are both high energy, driving rock songs. While Hammers and Anvils has a slight drop in energy, it still has the same catchy nature as the first 3 songs. Love & Despair is the first ballad of the record and a good one. The first 5 songs have a catchy, memorable quality about them. Each is interesting and slightly different enough to capture the listener’s attention.
But the second half of the album is a letdown. Where the first half of the album is catchy and interesting, the last 7 songs blend together and run one into the next with no real form or definition. I start feeling like I’ve heard the song I’m listening to already. The only exception is Foxhole, which has a catchy hook that grabs your attention.
While Kings isn’t the greatest album you’ll hear this year, there are a bunch of songs that are really good and grab your attention. I Am Empire is a band with potential and for a debut on Tooth and Nail, Kings isn’t half bad.
I've spent my entire life in Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC. DC has a rich punk rock and hardcore history. Here are my top 10 favorite DC records.
10. Nation of Ulysses – Plays Pretty for Baby
Plays Pretty For Baby is a pretty straightforward punk album. While odd at times, the songs are mostly 4 on the floor, driving punk songs.
9. Minor Threat – Complete Discography
I know it’s ridiculous to have Minor Threat at number 9. The hardcore legends have earned their place in music history and in DC music history for sure. Minor Threat’s complete discography is a perfect picture of hardcore in 1984.
8. The Crownhate Ruin – Until the Eagle Grins
Post Hoover, members went on to form The Crownhate Ruin. One of the better early 90’s post hardcore record.
7. The Dismemberment Plan – Change
Dismemberment Plan’s final studio album as a smoother, more polished, more refined sound, and while it’s not really a departure from any of the band’s earlier work, it’s just enough of a sonic shift to capture my attention a little more.
6. Beauty Pill – The Unsustainable Lifestyle
One of those little indie rock gems that very few people know about. Their one and only full-length is a beautiful, although lyrically twisted at times, indie rock album that Dischord put out a handful of years back. An excellent album that should be checked out and enjoyed.
5. Faraquet – The View from this Tower
The View from this Tower is a record that breaks convention on how music should be played. Math rock as it should be. Plenty of starts and stops, time signatures changing mid track.
4. Fugazi – Repeater
I’ve mention before that Repeater is the Fugazi record I listen to most. Great songs from probably the most recognizable DC band.
3. Rites of Spring – End on End
While Rites of Spring was another short-lived band, they managed to produce one of the best DC punk records. End on End didn’t fall into the hardcore stylings that were happening in 84/85 but played a different brand of punk rock. You can hear what Guy Picciotto would bring to Fugazi on End on End.
2. Frodus – And We Washed Our Weapons at Sea
And We Washed Our Weapons at Sea was Frodus’ posthumous swan song and by far their greatest musical accomplishment. While leaving some of their chaotic counterparts behind them, they produced a beautiful post-hardcore album, with killer melodies and great bass line after great bass line.
1. Jawbox – For Your Own Special Sweetheart
Jawbox’s major label debut didn’t change their post-hardcore fury. For Your Own Special Sweetheart established Jawbox as an underground favorite and made them DC legends.
It’s very unpunk of me to admit this but I’ve never really gotten into Social Distortion. I own and love their 1990 self-titled album but other then that, nothing. So context for Social D is an album that’s 21 years old. But I’ve listened to Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes constantly since Tuesday.
The album starts with Road Zombie, a pseudo Rock-a-Billy instrumental track. It’s a great track and a nice start to the record. And while it’s a nice album, and the songs on Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes are solid, it’s honestly a little boring.
While each song on its own is nice and enjoyable, as an album it doesn’t flow in any way that’s interesting to listen to. Each song blends into the next, each sounding like the track before it and I’m always surprised when the album ends.
Overall Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes has a nice bluesy tone to it, full of ballads. Only Machine Gun Blues and Alone and Forsaken have any punk attitude, the rest of the album relying on sentimental and reflective ballads to carry the record. The other moments that aren’t ballads (California Hustle, Can’t Take it With You) are rooted in deep southern blues/gospel/rock.
And while I think each song is good, either the way the album is constructed or just the fact that there isn’t a lot of diversity happening track to track, really bores me. Is Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes just a case of poor track order, probably. Good songs but I feel like this album could be better.
Over the Rhine are a staple of the indie folk scene. Their long career features some amazing albums (Ohio, Good Dog Bad Dog, Drunkards Prayer). You always know what you’re getting with OTR; soulful music with a lot of heart. Karin Bergquist’s smoky vocals are always delivered perfectly.
So it’s no surprise that their latest, The Long Surrender, is another beautiful record.
The Long Surrender, as most OTR albums are, is a nice mix of mild alt-country/folk and dark night club soul. While it’s not groundbreaking or something we haven’t heard from Over the Rhine before, I’d imagine fans would be disappointed if the band changed styles drastically.
Rave On is a song where Karin vocals teeter on the edge of completely letting go as she sings “Rock On”. The music builds to no crescendo, leaving the listener waiting in anxious anticipation for an explosion that never comes.
The record moves from quiet piano led songs, to a full band alt-country jam, to an acoustic guitar, to Karin belting out the most soulful songs you’ll hear. While at times it’s a cluttered mess of styles song to song, you aren’t bored listening to it. And while I wish there was more piano driver soul songs, nothing on Long Surrender is bad.
From a lyrical standpoint, The Long Surrender is a combo of sweet love songs and honest lyrics about the need for grace and forgiveness.
The Long Surrender is another good album for a band that has always put out great music.
I wasn’t super excited about Times of Grace’s album. I like Killswitch Engage a lot but it’s always been with Howard on vocals. Jesse never did anything for me. So I wasn’t sure about this record.
To be honest, Hymn of a Broken Man really took me a couple times through to start feeling it. My initial response was to just call this album Killswitch Light. But my second, third, and fourth time through the record I started hearing different things.
Musically it’s going to be hard for people not to make the Killswitch connection. While there are a lot of different sounds and textures that wouldn’t be something you’d hear on a KSE record, the over-arcing sound of Hymn of a Broken Man really falls back on Adam Dutkiewicz, who played and wrote all the music.
The metal guitar work is the signature riffs that have dominated KSE’s music over the last 2 albums. The riffs are all solid and while at times can run their course and get old, each song has enough dynamically that you don’t spend much time focusing on the riffs. While the similarities to KSE are there, Times of Grace doesn’t carry the same weight or aggression the KSE has.
The real gem and shining moments on Hymn of a Broken Man all belong to Leach. Jesse’s screams are stronger and better then they ever were when he was with KSE. He has great range going from really nice guttural growls, to higher pitched screams, and some nice yelling (if you don’t listen to hardcore, No it’s not all the same). His clean vocals have great range and are probably the best part. Leach’s vocal work is strong. His melodies are solid and while I’m not sure there are any super memorable or catchy hooks, each song has some unique vocally.
Lyrically, Leach is honest and passionate. His spirituality shines through and there’s no fluff lyrics happening on Hymns of a Broken Man. It was instantly a bright spot on the record for me and through continue listens, I appreciate the lyrical content more then the music itself.
To be honest if you aren’t or have never been a Killswitch Engage fan, you’re probably not going to like Times of Grace. If you’ve missed Jesse Leach in Killswitch or just want something similar to KSE, Hymn of a Broken Man will fill that hole. A solid record with great vocals and strong lyrics.
A busy schedule has delayed today top 10. I’m going with my favorite post rock/instrumental albums. You can argue that some of these records don’t belong as “post rock” albums and it’s probably fair and to be honest I could probably done a top 20 albums just off the top of my head. Post rock is probably my favorite genre of music (although hardcore is right there). Enjoy.
10. Rachel’s – Systems/Layers While I know the general public opinion is that Selenography is Rachel’s best album, but it was never as pleasing a listen to me as Systems/Layers was. Systems/Layers is such a pretty record and an easy listen. Water from the Same Source, Last Things Last, and NY Snow Globe are all highlights.
9. The Album Leaf – One Day I’ll Be on Time The Album Leaf’s second full-length was really a shadow of the potential Jimmy LaValle would later show. And while the fuller sound and live instrumentation of their later albums are nice, the songs on One Day I’ll Be on Time are really the strength that makes this a better record. Great Rhodes piano sound on this album, as is the staple of the Jimmy LaValle.
8. Mogwai – Young Team I’m a huge Mogwai fan and Mogwai is better then your band. So putting them at number 8 seems wrong. But this is a strong list. Young Team was the band’s debut and I think it still ranks as their best work. Beautiful, but I can’t help but feel there’s some underlying evil in this record. Killer stuff.
7. Caspian – You Are the Conductor It’s always good when you can listen to a record the flows like one song and leaves you both satisfied and wanting more all at the same time. Caspian’s debut ep does just that. The whole fits together so nicely and moves from section to section so seamlessly.
6. Saxon Shore – Be a Bright Blue While I honestly think Saxon Shore has put out better music and even better albums since their debut ep, Be a Bright Blue is still a favorite of mine. It was probably the first instrumental album I got and really opened me up to a new genre. Replacement Driver is a song that can’t be beat.
5. Sigur Ros – ( ) Sigur Ros’ untitled album remains as one of the most beautiful and spiritual albums of all time. 8 songs, 70 minutes of greatness.
4. Explosions in the Sky – All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone I know people always complain about bands newer work being inferior to much lauded over “classics” but All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone was the album that really turned me on to Explosions in the Sky. I liked the band before this album but I really fell in love with Explosions when All of a Sudden came out. Maybe because it’s a little more standard and “boring” post rock. I do love this album though.
3. Hammock – Kenotic Hammock’s debut changed the way I think about music. I’m being serious. Sitting in my car, stuck in the snow listening to Winter Lights on repeat, it brought a calm to my soul. Kenotic is a little disjointed at points and some songs seem like incomplete ideas, but what is finished is beautiful. Kenotic was just the beginning of Hammock and still holds as a great piece of music.
2. Mono – Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined You can’t go wrong with any Mono album. They are all beautifully epic. Their last album, Hymns to the Immortal Wind was fantastic. But Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky destroys. Halcyon (Beautiful Days) is a song that will melt your heart and make you cry.
1. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Lift Your Skinny Fist to Heaven like Antenna 2 discs of over 80 minutes of music that moves between beauty and chaos, some GY!BE did well their entire career, Lift Your Skinny First to Heaven like Antenna is the ultimate post rock album.
I'm feeling pretty uncreative today so I'm rocking my Top 10 favorite album from Facedown Records.
10. Anchor – Ship Wrecked Life
Anchor is classic Youth Crew hardcore similar to bands like Bane and Gorilla Biscuits. Just good old fashioned punk hardcore. Ship Wrecked Life is a hardcore record that’s probably the most underrated album on Facedown Records.
9. For Today – Breaker
Even though Break is only a handful of months old, it still manages to make this list. The album came out of nowhere to made me a For Today fan. A heavy record with super catchy songs.
8. Overcome – Immortal Until Their Work is Done
Overcome’s first post Solid State album showed the band even heavier then their earlier work. Immortal Until Their Work is Done has a lot of death metal influence.
7. Dodgin’ Bullets – Soundtrack to the End of the World
Another fun hardcore record, although Dodgin’ Bullets pulls more from the Eerie Hardcore scene where they came from.
6. xDisciplex AD – Doxology
Even though Doxology is more of a retrospective of xDisciplex’s career, it was the only real album the band put out on Facedown. Eerie, PA hardcore at it’s finest.
5. Symphony in Peril – The Whore’s Trophy
A band featuring Shawn Jonas, former Zao frontman, was enough for me to instantly like Symphony in Peril, their debut really disappointed me when it first came out. But the Whore’s Trophy was a different record. While continuing in the same metalcore vain, The Whore’s Trophy was more technical and had a real focused heaviness about it that Lost Memoirs and Faded Pictures was lacking.
4. No Innocent Victim – To Burn Again
The return of N.I.V. was a good thing and To Burn Again was a nice mix of new tracks and some rerecorded favorites. To Burn Again features my favorite N.I.V. song of all time, Stand.
3. Falling Cycle – The Conflict
When you listen to Conflict you notice how raw and dirty the album is. It’s aggressive like all that old school metalcore was. A lot of Zao influence on this record.
2. Sleeping Giant – The Dread Champions of the Last Days
Sleeping Giant was the band that really got me back into Facedown and the hardcore scene. The Dread Champions is such an honest and aggressive record but it doesn’t feel like the same hardcore band I’ve heard a million times before. A fresh sound in a scene full of cookie cutouts.
1. Point of Recognition – Day of Defeat
As I stated in my Top 10 hardcore records post, Day of Defeat is probably the angriest sounding of all the Christian tough guy hardcore records. Heavy, brutal, awesome!
Everybody like free stuff. I am a big fan of bands who release music for free. While right before Christmas Queens Club offered a new ep for free on Facebook to anyone who would like the band. Being a big fan of Young Giant, I took the opportunity to get some more new music from Queens Club.
Friendly is 3 new songs and 2 acoustic versions of songs from Young Giant. The new songs are solid and I'm glad Queens Club released them instead of having them sit on a shelf to be b-sided one day.
While Legendary and Standing on the Shoulders of Giants are solid songs, they are missing the fun and danceability that Young Giant had. Good rock songs with a slightly dark twist. Good songs, just missing some of that great energy. Darkkstar is a high energy song that would've fit on Young Giant and it's the best of the new songs on the ep.
The 2 acoustic tracks are Upstart and Less Talk. Upstart I didn't even recognize until the chorus hit. It's a nice new version of the song. Less Talk was my favorite song from Young Giant and hearing an acoustic version of the song only makes me like it more. While the middle section gets a little weird and is odd an acoustic setting and doesn't flow with the rest of the song, it's still an awesome reinvention of a great song.
A great ep and it's new free music from Queens Club.
WIth the new year, the promise of new music comes too. These are the albums I'm most excited about (that I know are coming out in the next year).
10. Emery
Emery has announced that their new album will be out in March. It’s called We Do What We Want and the title alone makes me think this might be an independent release. While I liked In Shallow Seas We Sail, I’m Only a Man was for sure Emery’s best release and I’d love to see that band head back in that direction. Either way, Emery always releases great albums with amazing lyrics.
9. Mogwai
Mogwai’s new album will drop in February. Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will should be an amazing post rock album. The Hawk is Howling was a return to form for the band and I hope they continue in that vain.
8. Face to Face
Laugh Now, Laugh has killer artwork from Corey Miller and Face to Face has always delivered great punk rock records.
7. Sixpence None the Richer
I love Leigh Nash’s vocals. She can sing me to sleep any night. Sixpence has been in studio working on a new record and anything they do is golden.
6. Living Sacrifice
Even though they unleashed their metal onslaught in 2010 with their reunion record, Living Sacrifice has posted on twitter that they’re going to try and release an album in 2011. The Infinite Order was awesome and more Living Sacrifice is not a bad thing.
5. Trenches
Trenches debut was a phenomenal ambient hardcore album. Great texture, excellent guitar works, and Jimmy Ryan’s vocals were even better then when he was in Haste the Day. It seems like they’ve been working on a follow up for 2 years. I’m excited for this release.
4. Overcome
Overcome has reformed. It’s more of a reimagining. The band used the Overcome name so they could play the old songs but Jason Stinson has moved from vocals to guitar. The demos sound good and this should be a great hardcore album.
3. Bleach
Bleach is one of my favorite Christian alternative bands and their reformation was probably the most exciting band reunion of the last couple of years. I don’t know what their new album will sound like but I’m excited.
2. Blindside
While a lot of people cooled on Blindside after A Thought Crushed My Mind, I loved Silence and About a Burning Fire. And I thought the Great Depression was a return to their old form. They’ve been off the map for a couple years and even with their social network appearance in 09 with promises of a new record, they’ve been quiet. But all systems seem to be a go on a new record coming out in March. It’s about time.
1. P.O.D.
While people might laugh at P.O.D. being number 1 on this list, I’ve been a fan of the band since they released Brown. While their post Marcos albums were mainstream flops compared to Satellite, they had great moments. Even with Marcos’ return to the band, When Angels and Serpents Dance had a hard time finding a wide audience in a post rap-rock world. I thought the album was good and Marcos has stated the band is not concerned about pleasing critics or mainstream success and is going to get back to their roots and this new album should be closer to Southtown and Satellite. I’m excited for a new P.O.D. record.
